WESTON, Mass. – Junior guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) netted 32 points to help lift Saint Joseph's College (4-7) past Rivier University (2-9), 83-71, in non-conference play Friday afternoon at the 2020 Catholic Colleges Classic hosted by Regis College.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Saint Joseph's trailed by five points (39-34) heading into halftime and faced a 46-37 deficit early in the second stanza, but mounted a 15-2 run during a three-minute span and held a 52-48 advantage after junior Tatsuaki Sakai (Ishikawa, Japan) capped the outbreak with a three-pointer with 14:52 on the clock.

The Raiders managed to tie the game on three occasions over the following five minutes, but the Monks received five quick points from Casale in a matter of 15 seconds to earn a 69-62 cushion with 5:48 remaining and proceeded to hold a double-digit lead for the better part of the closing three minutes of play.

STATS OF THE GAME:

In the first half, the Monks shot 39.4% (13-33) from the field and 25.0% (5-20) from three-point distance but managed to claim the victory with a much-improved shooting effort in the second frame, as the Royal Blue posted 51.5% (17-33) and 47.1% (8-17) marks from the floor and beyond the arc, respectively in the closing 20 minutes…Saint Joseph's also took advantage of Rivier's 11 turnovers with 21 points off said miscues and held a 34-22 advantage in points in the paint on the afternoon.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Casale notched his seventh double-double of the season with 32 points and 11 boards and added five assists and a pair of steals in the victory
• Sophomore guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) added 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists
• Sakai tallied 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists
• Sophomore guard Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) chipped in with six points, six rebounds, and five assists

LEADERS – RIVIER:

• Issaiah Chappell netted 26 points with three rebounds and was 6-for-6 from the FT line
• Pharaoh Davis added 15 points and seven caroms
• Tyler Bradanese contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is now 22-4 all-time versus Rivier University and has defeated the Raiders in five-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2017-18 campaign.

NEXT!

The Monks return to the hardwood next Tuesday with a non-conference game at Maine Maritime Academy. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 PM.

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